Almost Never Cuts It
by arianapeterson19
Summary: Rule number 3- some people are too interesting to die. A year has passed and just as things start settling down, a whole new set of troubles plague Tori, Beck, Andre, Jade, Robbie, and Cat. Rule number 108- people do not change. Sequel to "Always, Sometimes, Never". I wrote all the songs used. Rated T just in case people get offended
1. Happy Birthday

It could have been a painted scene, the dark silhouette of a girl with her long hair and dress waving in the wind, standing at the top of a hill near a tree, holding the hand of a boy, staring at a tombstone. It could have been a scene from a movie. It could have been a page from a book. But it was just another day in her life, so no one else witnessed the melancholy sweetness.

Beck kissed the side of Tori's head and gently led her away. The past year had flown by; it was hard to believe it had just been 365 days since he had asked Tori to be his girlfriend. Unlike most couples who spent their 1 year anniversary at a fancy dinner, they had come to the graveyard to see her parents, killed on the same day he asked her out.

"Thanks, Beck," said Tori when they were in his car. "I know that's not exactly how you wanted to spend our 1 year."

"Anything for you," said Beck as he drove out of the place that housed the dead.

"Where are we going now?"

"I thought we would go have a picnic."

"Yay!"

It was a perfect anniversary.

A few days later was Tori's 18th birthday. She woke up early and got dressed. Last year, her birthday hadn't been much of an event; no one had really felt like celebrating in the wake of all that had happened.

"Hey Trina!" said Tori cheerfully, passing her sister in the hallway on her way downstairs to get breakfast. "What are you doing up so early?"

Trina was a freshmen at the college about a half hour away and her first class was not until noon, so Tori rarely saw her sister before she left for school.

"Well, it's your 18th birthday," said Trina.

"Aw, that's so sweet! You didn't have to get up just to wish me happy birthday!"

"I didn't," said Trina.

"Well, then why did you?"

"You're 18 now, Tori, so legally, you are an adult. You don't need me to be your guardian, so I'm moving into the dorms so I can finally have a normal life."

"You're moving out?" clarified Tori. "On my birthday."

"Yup! Oh, don't act shocked, this is what happens when people go to college, they move out."

"Not when they are legally responsible for their sister!"

"I'm not anymore! I just want a normal life. I'm tired of being held back by you. I know you don't mean to, but you're costing me my life and I can't let you do that anymore. So, I'm moving out! See you at Christmas!"

Trina went back into her room and shut the door to continue packing, leaving Tori to wonder why the universe seemed bent on ruining her birthday.

"Tori!" called Beck from downstairs, having arrived to drive her to school.

"Hey!" called Tori, pasting a smile on her face and running down the stairs.

He waited by the piano and she jumped into his arms, giving him an enthusiastic kiss as he swung her around.

"Happy birthday, love," said Beck, handing her a small box.

"A present!" sang Tori. "You didn't have to do that."

"Just open it."

Tori did as she was told. Inside the box was a silver heart on a fine chain.

"Beck, it's beautiful!" gushed Tori.

"Just like you," said Beck. "Let me put it on you."

The necklace settled into the hollow of her throat. She kissed him in thanks and they headed off to school. At school, no one mentioned her birthday, but Tori was too preoccupied with her thoughts to notice.

"Tori?" said Andre. By the tone of his voice, it wasn't the first time he'd tried to get her attention.

"What?" said Tori, breaking out of her thoughts.

"I asked you if you were going to finish your cookie," replied Andre, pointing to the cookie in front of her on the lunch table.

"Oh, no, you can have it."

"Thanks!"

"Anything wrong?" whispered Beck.

"No!" said Tori, a bit too brightly.

"What's up, Vega?" said Jade.

Over the past year, Jade and Tori had become surprisingly fast friends. Jade was still brutally honest and crabby, but fiercely loyal.

"Nothing."

"Tori," said Andre, warningly.

"It's really nothing," insisted Tori. "Trina's moving out, that's all."

"She's doing what?" yelled Jade.

"She's moving out."

"She can't do that," said Robbie. "She's your legal guardian."

"As of today, she's not. I'm 18 now and she wants to get on with her life and I'm holding her back."

"Do you want us to beat her up for you?" offered Jade.

"No, it's really not that big of a deal."

No one bought Tori's lie. They could see how upset she was about her sister moving out without warning. Over the past year, roles in the gang had shifted a bit. They had become much more of a family than just friends and Tori was sometimes viewed as the child, not because she acted like a child, because she did not. Everyone felt the desire to protect Tori from any more harm than she had already faced. The problem was, Tori did not want people to worry about her; she hated inconveniencing her friends.

"My brother saw big foot once," said Cat.

"Big foots not real," said Robbie. "He's a legend, like the Loch Ness Monster or unicorns."

"Unicorns are so real!" argued Cat.

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch.

"After school, I'm kidnapping you," Beck whispered in Tori's ear as they walked to their next class together. "I have a surprise for you that will hopefully make up for your sister."

"Really? What is it?"

"You'll see."

Beck gave her a quick hug and then sauntered off, letting Tori wonder what surprise he could possibly have in store.


	2. It's a Plane!

By the time the final bell sounded, Tori could barely contain her curiosity. She rushed to her locker and bounced around excitedly until Beck finally arrived.

"What's the surprise?" asked Tori, cutting to the chase.

"Patience is a virtue," laughed Beck.

"One I plan on dying without!" replied Tori. "Please! Tell me!"

"I have to show you."

Beck led Tori out to his car. Once she was in the front seat, he ties a blindfold over her eyes so she would not know where they were going.

"What type of blindfold is this?" asked Tori, reaching up and feeling the silky material.

"Um, it's actually a tie of mine," said Beck, a bit embarrassed. "I couldn't find anything else, sorry."

"Does it at least go with my outfit?" teased Tori.

"Not at all!"

They bantered like that for the hour that Beck drove. At last, Tori could not stand the waiting any longer.

"Beck, you have got to tell me what the surprise is!" begged Tori.

"We're almost there."

Beck parked the car, got out, and then opened the door for Tori.

"Keep that tie on," warned Beck as he took her hand and helped her out of the car.

Tori stumbled a bit on the uneven ground but Beck held her firmly, so she never hit the ground. It was quiet out, warm but not hot.

"Beck?" said Tori worriedly when Beck suddenly let go of her, leaving her standing in the dark.

"Right here," said Beck, his voice coming from a few feet away. "Go ahead and take off the tie."

Tori reached back and untied the tie. Her eyes took a moment to adjust to the sudden sun.

"Surprise!" yelled her friends.

They were standing outside of a small airplane.

"What's going on?" asked Tori, confused.

"We're going on a little trip!" announced Robbie, jumping with excitement.

"To where?"

"It's a surprise!"

"Another surprise?"

"Come on," said Beck, pulling Tori to the plane. "Just smile and say 'thank you'."

"Thank you," grinned Tori as they loaded into the luxurious plane. "Who's plane is this, anyway?"

"My father's," said Jade. "He's letting us borrow it for the evening."

"Where are we going?" Tori asked Beck.

"You really have no patience at all, do you?" laughed Beck. "We're going to fly over California. You said you've always wanted to see what it looked like from above, so now you can."

"You guys are the best!" cried Tori, hugging each of them in turn, even Robbie.

"Everyone, please sit down and buckle your seat belts," said the voice of who Tori assumed was the pilot.

"Hey, Jade, does your dad fly the plane himself?" asked Tori.

"No, he just got a new pilot yesterday, why?" said Jade, fastening her seatbelt next to Andre.

"No reason, the voice just sounded familiar."

"Hm. Hey, Mr. Pilot, what's your name?" yelled Jade and the engines roared to life.

The plane idled a moment and then lurched into motion, rolling in a drunken line down the runway as it picked up speed. It bounced a little as it attempted lift off, causing everyone to grab on for support. It wasn't until the plane was finally in the air that everyone relaxed.

"We're flying!" giggled Cat. "Whoosh!"

"Good after noon," said the pilot over the intercom. "This is your captain speaking. Would Tori Vega please come to the cockpit? I think the birthday girl should get a chance to fly the plane."

Everyone looked a bit surprised, but Tori shrugged, unbuckled, and crossed the plane, through the curtain that blocked the bathrooms, and opened the door to the cockpit.

"Hello, Tori," smiled the captain.

_Yup,_ thought Tori. _The universe does not want me to have a good birthday at all._


	3. Wait, Who?

**Thank you so much for reading and the support and reviews! You all are the best! Now, for a more extreme chapter. Enjoy! -Ari**

"Hello, Thomas," said Tori as calmly as she could manage.

"What, you aren't even going to ask my why I'm here?" said Thomas, pretending to sound offended.

"No," said Tori, turning to march out.

"I wouldn't go out there," warned Thomas.

Tori ignored him and opened the door.

"Seriously, I will take this plane down in an unhealthy manner if you go back there before I have had a chance to talk with you."

Tori froze. There was no doubt in her mind that Thomas would do exactly what he said.

"Smart choice," smiled Thomas. "Now come sit in the co-pilots seat."

Tori sat down, every nerve in her body taunt and ready for action.

"What do you want?" asked Tori at last.

"I'm here to pass on a message."

"You stole a plane just to give me a message?"

"No, I was hired by Mr. West. This is a perk."

"Fine. What is it?"

"Did you enjoy the clown on your camping trip?"

Tori's heart stuttered to a halt, then broke into a sprint. No one knew about the clown save the police and her friends who had been on the trip. No one ever spoke of it, so how did Thomas know?

"I'll take your silence as a no," continued Thomas, still smiling. "Well, what about the fire at the antique store? Did you enjoy that as well?"

"These are questions," said Tori, trying to buy time as her brain whirled furiously to put his words into perspective. "You said you had a message."

"You always were a smart one," declared Thomas, reaching over and pinching her cheeks. "The message is this- you've been lucky so far, but you can't count on your luck forever. Have fun flying!"

With that, Thomas let go of the controls and rand to the back of the plane where he opened the access door to the luggage bay, jumped in, slammed the door shut behind him, and jumped out the back. Tori's friends looked on, surprised, but not concerned since they had no idea that was the pilot. In the cockpit, Tori jumped into the pilots seat, took control of the wheel, and gently pulled the plane out of its sudden, gentle, slope. She vaguely remembered reading a story where a boy flew a plane, so she tried the pedals until she hit the one that kept her in the air. Then she searched for the intercom button. She pushed one that looked correct only to realize she had accidently stumbled on the auto pilot.

"That works too," she muttered, getting up slowly, making sure the plane stay on tract.

When nothing drastic happened, she walked back to her friends.

"Jade, I don't suppose you know how to fly a plane, do you?" asked Tori, hoping Jades father made her learn.

"No, I don't," said Jade. "Who was that guy who just parachuted out of the cargo hold?"

"That was our pilot," said Tori.

"What?" yelled everyone in unison, which would have been funny if the situation wasn't so dire.

"Who's flying the plane now?" gasped Robbie, hyperventilating.

"It's on auto pilot," assured Tori. "I was just hoping someone knew how to fly it so we could land."

"Why did our pilot jump out of the plane?" asked Cat.

"More importantly, what's that beeping noise?" asked Andre.

Everyone fell silent. Over the muted engines, they could just make out a beeping originating in the cockpit. Tori and Beck ran up front with Andre and Jade close behind. The fuel light was flashing red.

"What does that mean?" asked Andre, denying the truth.

"It means we're almost out of fuel, stupid!" yelled Jade. "Come on!"

She turned and walked to her seat, which was in the back. On the floor at the foot of the seat was a latch. She pulled it open and revealed a stash of parachutes.

"Why do you have so many parachutes?" asked Cat, who had dragged Robbie over to join the party.

"My dad likes extreme sports," replied Jade. "It scares his clients into agreeing to things."

Everyone grabbed a parachute and began strapping them on, trying to get their arms and legs into the correct straps.

"The yellow cord releases the chute!" yelled Jade. "Don't pull it until you are clear of the plane!"

"Oh, yellow!" cried Cat, who immediately pulled the first yellow strap she saw.

"Cat!" yelled Tori as her parachute flopped out of the pack.

"Oops!" said Cat.

"We don't have a spare!" said Jade. "Dad never takes more than 4 up and one was always enough of a spare."

Tori took off the rest of her now useless parachute.

"Here, take mine," said Beck, starting to remove his.

"We don't have time!" said Andre.

"Tori will just have to hold on to someone," said Jade. "We have to jump now, the planes going to shut off any minute."

She opened the door to the cargo hold. One by one, the friends jumped, or were pushed out. Beck stood next to Tori as Andre, the last of their friends, jumped.

"You ready?" asked Beck.

"Just don't let go," said Tori.

She looped her arms around Beck, slipping one underneath his pack for extra security and closed her eyes. She felt Beck kiss the top of her head and then he was pulling her out of the plane.


	4. A Bit of Filler

The free fall was short. Beck pulled the yellow cord as soon as he was clear of the plane. That moment was the most gut wrenching moment of them all. He knew that jumping from the plane would be easy, falling would be simple, but pulling the cord and having the chute fill with air would be difficult. That was the moment he almost let go of Tori, as the chute filled with air and yanked him into a slower descent. To her credit, she didn't scream once. She simply whimpered and buried her face further into his neck.

"I've got you," assured Beck as the drifted down. "I won't let go. You're okay."

"I'm so sorry," choked Tori, not looking up. "This is all my fault."

"No, it's not," soothed Beck. "Cat pulled your cord too soon."

"No, I meant this entire ordeal!"

"We'll talk about it later, but I don't think you would ever try to crash a plane with all of your friends on it."

Tori just shivered. The constant rush of air was chilling her. Beck took consolation in the fact that they had almost reached the ground.

"Oh no," groaned Beck when he realized his mistake.

"What?" asked Tori, just as the crashed into the trees.

The sudden impact sent Tori flying out of Becks grasp. When he finally quit hitting branches, he found himself suspended a few feet from the ground.

"Here man," said Andre, who had already suffered a similar landing. "The release is this one."

He punched Becks release for him and caught his friend.

"Thanks," said Beck. "Where are the others?"

"I think they landed over that way," said Andre, waving in the general direction of north. "Where's Tori?"

"I don't know, I lost her when we hit the trees. Hey, you're bleeding."

"So are you."

Sure enough, both boys had acquired various scrapes from their battle with the trees, but nothing serious. They searched for Tori.

"Beck!" came Tori's voice from the left. "Andre! I'm over here!"

The boys rounded the corner and saw Tori struggling to sit up amid a mass of fallen leaves and branches. They ran over and assisted her to a sitting position.

"Are you okay?" asked Andre.

"I think so," said Tori. "Help me up?"

Beck and Andre heaved her to her feet. As soon as they let go, she promptly gave a small yelp like a wounded dog and fell into Andre, who caught her and lowered her to the ground.

"What's wrong?" asked Beck, panicked.

"That hurt," gasped Tori, trying to catch her breath.

"Hurt where?"

"My leg."

Beck moved and examined her legs. It quickly became apparent to him that her left foot and ankle were swelling up. He removed her beaten black canvas shoe as softly as possible but she still winced whenever he came into contact with her foot.

"Well, this sucks," said Andre.

Tori giggled while Beck gave him an appraising look.

"You both were thinking it, I was just saying it!" said Andre defensively.

"We need to find the others," said Tori.

"I'm not really sure walking is in your best interest right now," said Beck. "Sorry."

"Well, we can't just stay here," said Tori. "I really want to find the others. I can walk just fine!"

"Tori," said Andre slowly. "This will all get settled a lot faster if we just face all the facts now. You will not be walking very far on that foot. But you're right, we do need to find the others. So, why don't I go search for them and bring them here?"

"Because we shouldn't split up! We don't know where we are."

"It's California! We can't be that far from civilization."

"How will you find your way back?"

"Tori! Andre! Beck!" squealed Cat, running through the trees towards them with Jade and Robbie close behind, settling the need to go out looking for anyone.

"That works, too," said Beck.

"Are you guys okay?" asked Tori.

"Just bruised," said Robbie. "We managed to land in a small pond instead of the trees."

"What's the matter with Vega?" asked Jade.

"We hit the trees," said Beck. "I think her foots broken."

"Why don't we go back to the pond?" suggested Jade. "That way, when they send a search plane, they will actually be able to see us."

"Oh, I love ponds!" said Cat. "This is such an adventure!"

"What happened, though?" asked Robbie.

"Let's get to the pond, first," said Beck. "Is it far?"

"About a half mile."

"Okay, Tori?"

"Yes Beck?"

"I'm just going to give you a ride on my back, okay?"

Tori stuck her tongue out but agreed.

The pond was almost lake sized but clear and surrounded by a short shore where the friends all sat down to make a plan.

"Tori, I'm so glad you came to Hollywood Arts!" gushed Cat. "Everything is so much more interesting now!"

"Do you want to explain what happened?" asked Jade, her tone leaving no room to refuse.

"You dad hired Thomas as the pilot," said Tori, as if that explained everything.

"Who is Thomas?"

"Thomas is an old, not friend, I'm not really sure what to call him, actually. The point is, Thomas and I go back a ways. His best friend is Ryan."

"Wait," interrupted Andre. "Ryan, your ex boyfriend?"

"Yes, that Ryan. So, he came to give me the message that I got lucky with the clown and fire from last year, but I wouldn't get so lucky again. My guess is that Ryan was behind both and he convinced Thomas to ditch the plane that was almost out of fuel."

Beck wrapped his arms protectively around his girlfriend as if Ryan was waiting to spring out at any moment.

"We have to tell the police," said Andre.

"They won't do anything," sighed Tori. "They can't do anything."

"They crashed a plane!" yelled Jade.

"We can report Thomas for that. We can't touch Ryan with it, though. We have no proof."

"We can talk about it later!" said Robbie. "It's getting late."

"I hate to say it, but we might have to stick it out here until morning."

"I don't have any signal," said Robbie, checking his phone and pearpad.

"We're in the middle of the woods!" yelled Jade. "Of course you have no signal."

"Relax," said Beck. "The sun is going down. I don't think we should stay here, but I also don't know where we would go."

"If we walk west, we will eventually hit some form of civilization," said Robbie.

"We don't know which way west is once the sun goes down," sneered Jade.

"Oh, I have a compass!" cheered Cat, pulling a compass out from around her neck. "I dressed as an explorer today!"

Her friends all stared at her for a moment and then shrugged. For once, her crazy ways came in handy. Shortly after, they set off walking east, Tori limping and leaning heavily on Beck.

"I can carry you," whispered Beck as Tori whimpered once again.

"I know you can," said Tori. "But we'll go farther if I walk, because you won't get as tired."

"It's not worth you being in more pain than you already are," said Beck. "If it makes you feel better, I can switch off with Andre."

"Vega, you're slowing progress!" yelled Jade from the front of the group. "Just let Beck carry you, already."

"What was that?" said Robbie, freezing.

The sun had set at last, leaving the sky an ever darkening shade of blue. From the left of them, the sound of something moving in the brush reached their ears, something large, and headed their way.

*Hey! Sorry it took me so long to update, but this chapter is longer, so take that as an apology. Let me know what you think, it will get better, I promise. -Ari


	5. Play Dead

"Everyone, get into the nearest tree," hissed Jade, who had caught a glimpse of the approaching being. "But be quiet and move gently."

Beck hoisted Andre up to the closest branch of the nearest tree. Then he helped Robbie lift Jade up to Andre. Next went Cat, then Robbie. Beck carefully lifted Tori by the waist as if they were dancing. Andre grabbed her outstretched arms and dragged her up to the branch with him. Then he leaned down, took Becks forearm, and lifted the final boy into the tree. The teens scrambled into the branches as best the could when it emerged.

"I didn't know there were bears in California," hissed Andre.

"That looks nothing like a teddy bear," commented Cat. "I don't like it."

"Could this day get any worse?" moaned Robbie.

"Robbie!" groaned his friends.

Right on queue, as if it were a movie, it began to rain. At first it was gentle, a misting almost, but then it swelled and grew into a steady downpour that penetrated the trees. The bear, unperturbed by the rain, stayed at the bottom of the tree, snuffling around.

"This sucks," said Jade, her hair dripping down her back. "It's cold and this sucks."

Andre clamored up to the branch she was sharing with Robbie and Cat, who were huddled together, and squeezed in.

"What are you doing?" cried Jade, teetering and grabbing Andre's arm to steady herself with.

"Sharing the warmth!" said Andre, putting and arm around Jade and pulling her close.

Tori sneezed.

"You okay, love?" asked Beck, wrapping his arms more firmly around her.

"F-fine," she stuttered.

Her thin blue tank top and white shorts were of little protection against the elements. Her foot was swollen and her skin was turning a disturbing shade of blue that made Beck question how much longer they could stay out in the weather.

"Hey, the bear is gone!" squealed Cat. "I think he gave up!"

"I'm not going down there until morning," said Robbie.

"I'm not staying up here that long," said Beck. "It's too dangerous."

"Oh, and a bear is tame?"

"You don't have to come with us. You can wait up here until you catch your death or fall asleep and fall out of the tree. Personally, I'm willing to take my chances with the bear and try to get out of here."

Everyone but Robbie mumbled their agreement, ready to try anything just to get out of the rain. Robbie grumbled but began the process of getting out of the tree.

They carefully walked through the trees, heading west, according to Cat's compass, Tori riding on Becks back. While there were frequently cracks and rustles, they saw no sign of the bear. Eventually, they found a small stone cottage. It would have looked like something out of a fairy tale had it not been raining and dark and the windows shut.

"This looks like something from a scary movie," said Cat.

"This whole day has been like a scary movie," replied Andre.

"Look!" yelled Cat. "Wood! Let's make a fire and roast marshmallows!"

"Cat, we don't have any way to start a fire," said Jade in a sour tone.

"Oh," said Cat, her face falling. "I thought we could use my adventure lighter."

"You have an adventure lighter?" said Andre.

"Yeah!" said Cat, pulling a lighter our of a zipped pocket in her dress and lighting it.

"I could kiss you, Little Red!" said Andre, spinning her around so she giggled.

They lit the fire and huddled close, trying to get warm. Worn out by the long day of stressful situations, one by one, they all fell asleep, laying in a pile of wet clothes, bodies, and dirty floor

*So the longest day ever ends! Seriously, thought, that was a 5 chapter long day. I don't think I'll write another day that long, what do you think?


	6. Sleepover at Tori's

"Beck!" whispered Tori, nudging her boyfriend. "Beck! Wake up!"

"What?" said Beck, jerking out of his slumber. "Tori? Is something wrong?"

"Beck," hissed Tori. "Do you hear that?"

"If it's another bear, I swear I'm going to-"

"I think it's a plane!"

Beck paused. There. He could just make out the sound of an engine.

"Guys!" yelled Beck, jumping up and disrupting the pile. "There's a plane!"

He ran outside with Andre and Jade right behind, all of them yelling and waving, trying to get the planes attention.

"That's not a plane!" giggled Cat, looking out the open door. "That's a helicopter!"

She spun around the room making whooshing noises while Robbie helped Tori to her feet.

"Tori!" yelled Beck, running back inside as the engine sound grew to a roar. "Robbie! Cat! We've found help!"

His face was boyish in his joy. He kissed Tori, and led them outside. The helicopter had landed in the clearing; the cabin was on the edge of the clearing. A man in a formal suit stepped out with another man in scrubs. They both ran over, buffeted by the wind created by the blades.

"Dad!" screamed Jade. "I'm so sorry about your plane!"

"It's alright, Jade," said her father over the noise. "I'm just glad you kids are all safe now."

"Hey, dad," said Beck to the man in scrubs.

"Is anyone hurt?" asked Beck's father.

"Just some scratches," reported Andre. "And I'm sure we all will get a cold from sitting in the rain. Oh, and Tori managed to break her ankle."

"Let's get into the helicopter, then we'll check it out on our way home."

"Yay!" laughed Cat. "I love circles!"

Dr. Oliver took x-rays of Tori's foot and determined that it was indeed broken. As soon as the helicopter touched down, he drove Tori and Beck to his house and set it there.

"Now, stay off of that foot for the rest of the day," warned Dr. Oliver. "Beckett, take her home and make sure she has someone there to take care of her."

On the ride to Tori's house, Tori was unusually subdued. Beck didn't push it, because he knew it had been a terrifying day for everyone. When he pulled up to her house, he put the car in park and turned to her.

"What's bothering you?" asked Beck. "I mean, what's bothering you that my dad said? You've been acting funny since we talked to him."

"He just reminded me that Trina moved out," said Tori. "I know that's a stupid thing to be upset over, what with the day we had yesterday, but still, I wish she hadn't left. I don't like being alone."

"Tori, we won't leave you alone," said Beck. "Look, if that's what you are worried about, why don't you just ask Cat or Jade to move in? Everyone else is already of age."

"Everyone else still has parents," replied Tori, quietly.

"Love, then why not move in with one of them?"

"Can we go inside now?" asked Tori. "I want to change."

"We'll discuss this later."

Beck helped her inside. Tori changed and then settled on the couch with him to cuddle and watch a movie. Periodically, friends would arrive and make themselves at home, just like they always did. By the end of the movie, everyone of the friends had arrived.

"Guys, I want to talk to you all about something," began Beck as the credits rolled.

"Kay kay!" said Cat.

"Trina moved out of here," said Beck. "Tori doesn't want to live alone. Any ideas?"

"Hey, I want out of my grandmas," said Andre. "Can I move in?"

"I wanted to move in!" whined Robbie. "My mom moved out again!"

"Wait, like a sleepover at Tori's every night?" asked Cat. "I love sleepovers! Plus, my brothers not allowed to be around me anymore because he tries to eat my hair."

"If Cat's moving in, then so am I," said Jade.

"Why doesn't everyone just move in?" asked Beck.

Everyone froze and stared at him like he was crazy. He shrugged.

"Tori?" he asked.

"Well," said Tori slowly, looking at each of her friends in turn. "If your parents don't have a problem with it, I would really enjoy the company. This house is too big for just me and you all are over here every day and spend the night half the time, so might as well."

"Yay!" cheered Cat. "Sleepover at Tori's forever!"


	7. Unthinkable

Six teenagers living together was less chaotic than one would think. It helped that everyone had their own room and that they were friends, but the one thing that probably made the most difference was that everyone had a common goal- to make it work. After just one week together, no one wanted to move back with their families. Freedom was a welcome change and they found that being responsible for themselves was not as difficult as their parents had led them to believe.

"Cat, it's time to go!" yelled Jade from the bottom of the stairs.

"Kay-kay!" sang Cat, hopping down one by one.

"Cat, you look amazing," said Robbie, staring at the red head.

"Thanks, Robbie!" laughed Cat. "I can't wait to hear Tori sing her new song tonight!"

It was the night of the Polish Jam. Tori was one of the students nominated to sing an original song. She had been practicing for ages and kept the song a secret from everyone but Andre, who was helping her with the music.

"We're going to be late if we don't leave now!" exclaimed Jade, fingering her scissors.

"We're going, we're going," said Robbie, hustling Cat and Beck out the door.

The Jam was packed. Everywhere people were eating polish sausage or jam sandwiches and laughing. Beck, Jade, Robbie, and Cat all squeezed into seats on the side.

"I've never seen the Polish Jam this crowded," yelled Jade over the noise.

"Everyone, settle down!" yelled Helen, the principle, into the microphone. "We're going to start our entertainment this evening with the newest act to make the list, Tori Vega, singing an original song!"

Everyone cheered as the lights on stage came up. Andre began playing soft notes on the piano.

"She was always waiting for something,

but for what she never knew.

And she'd kissed so many frogs

by the time she got to you," sang Tori, her long green dress dancing over her thing form.

"To you she was a princess,

a real life Cinderella,

but to her you were a peasant,

just another fella.

"Be still, don't let Cupid get you hurt.

He rains his broken arrows down upon the earth.

You wait in hopes that one day she'll open up her eyes

and she'll realize

you are a prince in disguise.

"'Cause you love Cinderella

and she just wants a prince.

She doesn't know you care

and that thought makes you wince.

You'd be her prince charming

if she'd just give you a chance,

but she never sees that coming

when you ask her to dance.

"Be still, don't let Cupid get you hurt.

He rains his broken arrows down upon the earth.

You wait in hopes that one day she'll open up her eyes

and she'll realize

you are a prince in disguise.

"You were always there for her

when Cupid got her hurt.

She'd run into your waiting arms,

her protection on this earth.

You'd always make it better,

your smile so disarming.

That's when Cinderella

met you, Prince Charming.

"Be still, don't let Cupid get you hurt.

He rains his broken arrows down upon the earth.

You wait in hopes that one day she'll open up her eyes

and she'll realize

you are a prince in disguise.

"Yes, I realized,

You are my prince in disguise."

Cheers filled the air. Robbie nudged Beck with a smile, know who the subject of Tori's song was. Beck just shrugged with a small smile. Tori hugged Andre on stage and bowed. Then the two sauntered off. They joined their friends in the crowd, thanking them for their kind words of congratulations.

"Thank you, love," said Beck, kissing the top of Tori's head. "That was beautiful."

"Thank you for always being there for me," replied Tori. "Even when it causes more trouble than it's worth."

"It's always worth it."

"Tori!" crowed Trina, emerging from the throngs of people.

"Trina, what are you doing here?" asked Tori, standing up.

"I need to talk to you alone," said Trina. "Let's go out to the parking lot."

Tori shrugged and limped after her sister. The parking lot was a huge contrast to inside the jam; it was quiet and nearly empty.

"What's up, Trina?" asked Tori.

"I'm sorry," said Trina, quietly. "I didn't want to, but I couldn't help it."

"Help what?" asked Tori, confused.

"I've decided I don't actually want you dead," said Ryan, walking out from behind a red sedan. "Thank you, Trina, you may go."

Trina scurried off to her car and drove away with an apologetic glance at Tori.

"Why won't you just leave me alone?" asked Tori, backing away from her ex boyfriend.

"After tonight, I will," replied Ryan. "I realized the reason I couldn't leave you alone before was because you'd never slept with me. I plan to remedy that now so we can both move on with our lives."

Tori tried to run, but her walking cast made her moves clumsy. Ryan was upon her before she could even scream, not that anyone in the jam would have heard her over the noise. She fought, but as always, Ryan was bigger and stronger. She knew her luck had run out as he tore her nice emerald dress, knew that no one was going to save her this time.

Ryan had finally won.


	8. Almost Never Cuts It

"Has anyone seen Tori?" asked Cat.

"She went to talk with Trina in the parking lot a few minutes ago," replied Beck.

"Kay-kay!" said Cat. "I need to ask her a question!"

Cat flounced off to the parking lot to find her friend.

"Tori!" she called. "Toooooooori!"

She looked around the parking lot but didn't Tori anywhere.

"A shoe!" exclaimed Cat, her voice hitting a pitch only heard by animals. "Pretty!"

She picked up the shoe and skipped back inside to join her other friends.

"Did you find Tori?" asked Andre.

"Is she lost?" asked Cat, alarmed.

"No, you just said you had to ask her a question."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Nothing," assured Andre. "I was just wondering if you found her."

"I found a shoe! That's kind of the same thing!"

Cat held up her prize for Andre to see.

"Wait, can I see that?" asked Andre, reaching for the shoe.

"No! I found it! It's mine!"

"Cat, that's Tori's shoe."

"Why would Tori leave one shoe in the parking lot? Unless, do you think trolls stole it and put it there?"

"How do you know what Tori's shoes look like?" asked Jade, jumping into the conversation.

"Because she had a hard time picking what shoes to wear with her new dress and eventually she settled on that pair after hours of debate," replied Andre. "Cat, you're sure you didn't see Tori in the parking lot?"

"Trolls only steal the left shoe, you know," said Cat.

Andre rolled his eyes and stood up.

"I'm going to go check," he said. "I'll be right back."

Out in the parking lot, Andre found it devoid of people.

"Tori?" called Andre. "Tori, you out here?"

Andre saw a car shudder slightly. He walked over to it.

Ryan had wrestled Tori to the ground, her arms pinned under her, one of his hands covering her mouth. She was kicking and squirming, doing everything in her power to get away. Her dress was torn and dirty. There was more, but Andre had seen enough. He tackled Ryan, throwing him off of Tori. Her mouth suddenly free, Tori screamed for all she was worth.

Andre got off of Ryan, who was no longer struggling. When Andre had knocked him off of Tori, he'd hit his head on the ground, knocking him unconscious.

"Tori!" yelled Andre, kneeling next to Tori who huddled against the car. "Tori, baby, oh my gawd, Tori."

Tori was staring at Ryan, apparently unaware that Andre was talking to her.

"Andre!" called a voice from the other side of the parking lot. "Tori! Are you guys out here?"

"Beck!" screamed Andre, jumping up. "Get over here now!"

Becks heart dropped out of his stomach. Andre had never sounded that angry and scared at the same time. Ever.

"What's going on?" said Beck, coming around the corner.

He froze for an instant, taking in the scene. Ryan lay unconscious on the ground a few feet from Tori, who was disheveled and had terror rolling off her in waves, all while Andre stood protectively between the two. In a flash, Beck had Tori safely in his arms, holding back tears as he pieced together what must have happened.

"Call the police," Beck ordered Andre. "This ends tonight."


	9. Never

"Tori, love," whispered Beck, stroking his girlfriends hair. "Andre just called the police. They are on their way. You're safe now, understand?"

Tori didn't respond. She just kept staring at the spot behind Andre where she knew Ryan was. She wasn't even aware that Beck and Andre were near her until they pulled her to her feet in an attempt to get her farther away from her attacker.

Tori screamed and jerked out of their grips. Then she blinked and recognized who the boys were in front of her, staring at her with their hands up and worried. Then Tori glanced to the side, saw Ryan on the ground, and figured out what had happened.

"Tori, it's Beck and Andre," said Beck, taking a slow step towards her. "You're safe now."

She fell into their arms, shaking and crying. Together, the boys got her to sit next to Becks car as they sat on either side of her. Andre kept a careful eye on Ryan, making sure the boy didn't slip away yet again.

"Andre!" yelled Jade, walking out of the jam. "Andre, some girl is asking for you!"

Jade spotted the three teenagers sitting on the ground and walked over.

"What's going on?" she asked.

Andre nodded towards Ryan on the ground. Jade took in the state of Ryan's clothes and Tori's, the hatred in Andre's eyes, and the sheer terror in Beck's and understood what must have happened.

"Did you call the police?" asked Jade, crouching down in front of Tori.

"They're on their way," growled Andre.

On cue, sirens whirled into their hearing range. Police cars pulled into the parking lot. Men in uniform stepped out and the questions began. Andre told his version of the story as they inspected Ryan. Tori would not talk, she just cowered into Beck and Andre.

"We need to go down and take samples for evidence," said Officer Polero, who was on the larger side with a mustache. "Now, I can take her in the patrol car or you can follow me. Which would you be more comfortable with?"

In answer, Tori shrunk back a bit more into the protection of Beck and Andre.

"We'll drive her," said Beck. "Come on, Tori."

At the police station, they retrieved the physical evidence they needed from Tori, then asked if they could get her record of what happened.

"You can have one person with you, if that would make it easier," said Officer Polero. "We just need your side of things. Once we get that, we should be able to take care of the situation without your further involvement."

"Jade," whispered Tori, speaking for the first time. "Will you come with me please?"

"Sure," said Jade, her face unreadable.

Beck and Andre surrendered Tori over to Jade, who, for once, didn't protest but instead silently put an arm around Tori's shoulders and guided her into the small interrogation room. Beck and Andre sat down in the hall and waited.

"Thank you, Andre," said Beck after he had been silent for a while. "Thank you for helping her."

"Hey man," said Andre. "She's my best friend. I love her too. That was the scariest thing I've ever seen."

"I can't believe this happened," said Beck, tears sliding down his cheeks. "I should have been there. I should have stopped him."

"Don't play that game. There's no end to it. She's safe now. And Ryan's finally getting dealt with. It's going to be okay."

Beck nodded.

"Why do you think Tori asked Jade to be in there with her and not you or me?" asked Andre after a moment.

"Honestly?" sighed Beck. "I think she didn't want us to hear the details. I think she wanted to spare us."

The door opened and Tori and Jade walked out, followed by Officer Polero. Beck knew Jade well enough to see the fury behind her calm mask. Suddenly, he was glad she had accompanied them, thankful that he hadn't heard the details, sure he that if he had, nothing would have stopped him from searching every cell until he found Ryan and the murdered him slowly.

"You all can go home," said Officer Polero. "Just, be careful."

Robbie and Cat waited at the house for them.

"Where were you?" demanded Robbie.

"Robbie, Cat, follow me," said Jade, holding out a piece of candy for Cat and grabbing Robbie by the ear, towing them away.

Beck and Andre helped Tori upstairs. She showered and changed and crawled into her bed.

"I'm going to make some coco," said Andre, kissing Tori's forehead. "I'll be just downstairs if you need me."

"Do you want me to stay?" asked Beck.

"Get something to eat with Andre," said Tori quietly. "I'll be fine."

Nevertheless, both boys waited until Tori had fallen asleep before leaving the room. No sooner had the door shut than the screaming began. They rushed back inside.

"Tori, wake up!" yelled Beck, grabbing her thrashing shoulders and shaking her. "It's just a dream! Please, wake up!"

Her eyes shot open. It took her an minute to remember where she was but when she did, she began sobbing. Beck cuddled her close, rocking her gently and whispering reassuring words that did no good. Andre sat on the other side of Tori in her large bed and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"I've changed my mind," choked Tori. "I want you both to stay. Please, don't leave me."

"Never," said Beck and Andre in unison.


	10. Letters from Home

It was a long night, rivaled in length only by the night Tori's parents died. Beck and Andre took turns staying with Tori, holding her close so she felt safe enough to sleep while one would make coco or go to the bathroom. She never slept for long, always waking in a panic before settling back down. It wasn't until 7am that her exhausted body gave in and she fell into a deep slumber.

"Hey, I'm going to go talk to the others for a minute," whispered Beck. "You okay to stay with Tori?"

"Yeah," responded Andre. "I'll call you if she wakes up."

"Thanks."

Beck stumbled down the stairs and found Robbie, Jade, and Cat sitting around the kitchen table, deep in conversation.

"Hey, how's Tori?" asked Cat, her face looking like an injured puppy.

"She's asleep," said Beck, mustering a smile to put the little red head at ease. "Jade, can I talk to you?"

Jade nodded and followed Beck into the backyard.

"Jade," said Beck, looking at his feet. "I don't know what to do. I mean, all night, she was scared and crying and I couldn't stop the nightmares. I couldn't fix it. I hate seeing her this way and I don't know what to do."

"There's not a whole lot you can do," said Jade quietly. "Honestly, I feel like we should try to continue on as normally as possible. If I was Tori, I would want to just try to forget it ever happened. I wouldn't want to be treated differently."

Beck sighed and sat down on a bench. Jade joined him without hesitation.

"I don't get why everything if happening to her," admitted Beck. "She doesn't deserve any of this."

"We can't stop all the bad things from happening," said Jade quietly. "We can only try to make it better when things do happen. Look, Tori is resilient, she's going to be fine. And Ryan is no longer an issue, so everything is going to get better."

Beck gave Jade a small smile. In some ways, he still viewed her as one of his best friends, even if she was no longer his girlfriend. He never regretted their relationship and it was times like these that he was glad he still had her to rely on.

"Now how about we start the moving on process off right with school?" suggested Jade.

"I think Tori should sleep," said Beck, following her inside.

"Too bad!" laughed Jade, pointing to Tori, who sat at the table, nibbling on a begal while Cat told a story about her brother.

"Hey love," Beck greeted her, kissing the top of her head. "Ready for another day of school?"

Tori gave him a small smile. Everyone acting so normal was helping her put the past 24 hours behind her. She wanted to tell them how much she appreciated every one of them, but the words would have come out awkward and stilted and they deserved better. Somehow, she would come up with a way to let them know how much she cared.

She was quiet on the ride to school. in the hall, she flinched if anyone accidently bumped into her, but Tori made an effort to smile and act as normally as she could. Beck held her hand, like he always did, walked her to class, like he always did, and slipped her a note before heading to his own class. Tori sat next to Jade and as the bell rang, opened the note.

_Dear Tori-_

_I love you! I know I tell you that frequently, but I wanted to remind you again. And no, this isn't going to be some "you are more beautiful than the sun" letter because I know how you hate those._

_Tori, I was thinking last night about my life. I know this past year has been one helluva trip, but I wouldn't trade a single day of it because it was spent with you. Yes, that's cheesy, but the thing is, I would rather have hard times with you than have it easy alone. I would have loved it if everything was fine for you, because I only want you to have the best, but that's not something I can control. The only thing I can do is uphold my promise to you, the one where I promised to love, protect, and be there for you no matter what, because you were always there for me._

_Cat says hello, by the way. She saw me writing this and wanted to tell you that one time, her brother got caught on a fishing boat and saw a mermaid. Now he's not allowed near that fishing boat of the scuba diver he saw._

_Robbie also wanted to tell you thanks for helping him get the courage to get rid of Rex. He said that you may not know it, but seeing you fight against everything to be happy made him realize he could do the same._

_Hey Tori! It's me, Andre! Beck was writing this letter to you and I wanted to add something. Tori, I am sure I will be the first person to ever say this, but I am incredibly happy that I was paired with Trina for the big show case. That allowed me to meet my best friend, you, and that has made all the difference. Without you, I would still be an outcast, sitting alone at lunch writing my music and ignoring the world. Thanks for giving me a chance. Love-Andre_

_Alright, I think that is the last interruption we'll have, unless Jade walks by…..speak of the devil! I knew I should have written this in my room and not the kitchen._

_Vega! Apparently everyone is getting mushy in this letter to you. It makes me want to puke. However, I appreciate you putting up with me when I've given you every reason not to, and that's as gooey as I'm going to get. - Jade_

_Anyway, I love you! I will see you after class!_

_Love Always-_

_Beck_

Tori folded the note, smiling to herself, her first real smile, as a warm feeling of contentment spread through her. Everything might not be perfect in her life, but she knew she would never have to face the imperfections alone again.

FIN

*Alrighty! So, what do you think? I'm super curious. Do you want me to write another story? If so, what about? On a side note, happy birthday to me! Another year older and not a whole lot wiser :)


	11. Welllll?

Well, there you have it! So, now the question is- do you want me to continue this series, or would you like me to start another adventure with these characters? It's up to you!


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